Insecurities
by Nelauk
Summary: They're just stupid, Lynn...who cares what they think? she silently tried to reassure herself, but it didn't do her much good. She remembered their derisive laughter. They were lucky they didn't get any fists to their stupid faces... (ONE SHOT)


To say that Lynn felt unhappy was an understatement. She pulled out her chair and slumped into her seat, letting out a deep sigh.

 _They're just stupid, Lynn...who cares what they think?_ she silently tried to reassure herself, but it didn't do her much good. She remembered their derisive laughter. They were lucky they didn't get any fists to their stupid faces.

 _Am I really unattractive…?_

She watched as kids came into the classroom, talking amongst themselves. She kept her eyes and ears perked for any sign of her friend. He was always nice to talk to whenever she felt down.

"Hello everyone, I do hope you're doing well today," said the teacher cheerfully. Lynn merely rolled the pencil on her desk. "Today we're going to be reviewing fractions, so take your books out…"

Lynn continued to watch out for him. Most of the kids were in there seats already, save for him. Usually he'd be here by now…

"Lynn, take out your textbook please," said the teacher. Huffing, she did so. "Open to page two ninety one. Last week we talked about dividing fractions…"

Now class was already starting! Lynn's heart began to sink. As they went over whatever inane crap they always did her eyes kept going back to the door. _Damn it, Francis, c'mon…_

Then, a miracle. As if on cue the door swung open and her friend, looking rather winded out, rushed into his seat. Lynn gave a small cry in surprise.

"You're late, Mr. Ortega," said the teacher. "You'll have to stay here five minutes after class."

"Sorry," panted Francisco. He looked at Lynn, who was having a hard time trying to repress the smile of relief on her face. "What's happening today...why are you smiling?"

"Um, we're reviewing fractions," said Lynn. "And I dunno, I'm just…" _I'm just really happy you're here,_ she finished silently, but that'd be so _mushy._

He leaned over and winked at her. "It's okay, I already know how much you love me." He looked down at her page and turned to it promptly. Lynn did her best not to blush.

The teacher droned on in the background. "You came in here like a serial killer was chasing you," Lynn whispered.

"Yeah, turns out I forgot my textbook in the cafeteria. Annoying, when that happens," said Francisco. "Also, I ended up tripping over some cord. That's why I have this bruise on my cheek." Lynn's eyes widened when he showed her it.

"I didn't notice," she said.

"Kiss it after class, yeah? It hurts real bad," Francis said mischievously. Lynn scoffed and swatted him away.

"Would you two keep it down, please," the teacher interrupted them. "Save it for break."

Lynn rolled her eyes and set her attentions back to her text book. _Should I tell him about what happened today? I mean...it's kinda dumb, now that I think about it...and anyway I doubt he'd understand._

"...now that's over with, would somebody like to volunteer to pass out worksheets? Have it done by today or it'll be homework. Meanwhile I'll be going to the bathroom…"

The teacher strode out of the room, and once he was gone the class exploded into chatter.

"You look a little funny today," Francisco observed. Lynn realized that she was still staring at her textbook.

"Am I?" She looked into his eyes and saw that look-the look he'd get whenever he figured there was something up.

Francis nodded. "You look like you dropped your ice cream cone or something. Are you okay or…"

 _Well, I might as well tell him, then._ "I just don't feel too good right now," Lynn admitted. "I was walking out of the locker rooms when McKayla and her friends came walking by-you know them, right?"

Francis frowned in disgust. "Ugh, yeah."

"Anyway, they saw me and started giggling about how I was like...ugly or something. They said that _nobody'd_ wanna date a girl who was like an _ogre."_

"Lynn...jesus fuck!" Francisco exclaimed. "You might have to pay for that!"

Lynn looked down and realized that she'd crumpled and torn off several pages. Moaning, she let her head fall onto the desk. She could hear Francis hum sympathetically, feel his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't listen to them, okay? They're bitches. They judge everyone."

Lynn glared at him. "You think I don't know that? At first I didn't care, but then I started thinking about it and it started weighing down on me and…"

"They're idiots," said Francis. Just then the teacher came back, silencing the entire class. "We'll talk about this after, okay?"

Lynn nodded silently.

"Get started on your worksheets, please," said the teacher. The class fell into a quiet cacophony of pencils scratching paper.

Lynn moved her pencil around the paper absentmindedly. It was then that she felt a nudge and a piece of gum cross into her line of sight.

She smiled at Francis gratefully and popped it into her mouth.

xxx

"Okay," said the boy, as they both sat down against the wall in the cafeteria. "Tell me what's up."

"Like I said," said Lynn, "I was walking out of the locker room when McKayla started making fun of me."

"So she called you ugly." Francisco spat a piece of gum into a tissue and threw it into the trash. "And do you think you're ugly?"

Lynn stared at him for a moment. "Um...I mean…"

He looked at her with a combination of patience and thought. Lynn felt herself practically shrink under his gaze a bit.

"...sometimes," she said softly.

"Okay." Francis sucked on his bottom lip for a while, trying to think something up. Lynn wondered if he'd even know what to say in this situation. He was a boy, after all, and boys weren't as fussy about their looks.

"Well…" Lynn looked to him. "I...kinda get where you're coming from? Maybe this isn't the same, but people'll always give me crap about my eyebrows. They'd call them caterpillars."

Lynn couldn't help but smile a little.

"I know, I know, it's funny when you think about it. But it _did_ do things to me. I thought about shaving them so they wouldn't make fun of me for them anymore. But then I realized that it didn't really matter in the end."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. What I'm saying is that those girls are idiots and their opinion means nothing. If I'd let the guys who made fun of me have their way then I'd have shaved them clean off. And man...you do _not_ wanna see me without any eyebrows."

Lynn burst into giggles.

"All Voldemort-y and shit." The girl giggled harder and had to cling to him for support.

"Okay…" Lynn gasped, trying to catch her breath. "Okay, I understand now. But still can't help but shake the feeling that…"

"That what?"

Lynn hugged her knees to her chest. "Like…like there's something wrong with me?"

" _Wrong?"_ Francisco looked at her, puzzled.

"Like there's something wrong with me...playing sports. Because they started laughing at me when I came out of the locker room, and I felt like maybe they were saying that me playing sports was wrong…?"

"Let me guess," Francisco snorted, "they also hate guys who do ballet?"

"Well…"

"I don't think playing sports makes you 'ugly', Lynn. Like I said, they're idiots."

"Yeah…"

"For what it's worth, um…"

Lynn looked up at him. He was running his head through his hair, his mouth slightly ajar as though something was dying to come out.

"You're...you're pretty cute."

"Really?"

Francisco managed to look into her eyes. "Yeah."

"Oh." Lynn blushed. "Okay."

"Uh-huh."

Lynn found it surprisingly hard to look at him. She became all too aware of his sitting beside her. It was only when the bell rang that they turned to each other.

"Well," said Lynn.

"Yeah…"

"I should go. History class."

"Yeah, I got history class. I-I mean English class."

They both got up and went their separate ways, but something stopped Lynn in her tracks. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Francisco about to head into the crowd. She ran up to him.

"Francis!" She caught him by the arm. The boy looked at her expectantly.

"Yeah?" His eyes widened when the girl came up to him, stood on her toes, and kissed him on the cheek, right where the bruise was.

"Thanks for being a good friend," said Lynn. "Good luck, with, um, English."

Francisco stood there, dazed, as Lynn turned around and went to class.


End file.
